Food tray and travel food tray with liner method and apparatus

ABSTRACT

A food tray system comprising a food tray, a suitably sized tray liner with an elastic member placed over and around the top portions of the food tray. The elastic member tightens the tray liner to the shape and size of the food tray to prevent the tray liner from being pulled or moved by a child. After use, the tray liner is removed from the food tray by loosening the elastic member from the edges of the tray. The removed tray liner is gathered inwardly by the elastic means to form an integral, closed waste bag for the clean removal of debris from the food tray. The food tray system may also be a food travel tray system, which also includes at least one horizontal support bar that is placed under the legs of a child in an infant automobile seat or standard automobile seat when the tray is in use. The food tray system further includes a cover, which may be used as an activity table. The activity table may have a light system integrated therein to allow for use of the activity table in the dark.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/739,888, filed Nov. 22, 2005.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates to backseat travel trays. More specifically afood tray with activity board cover and disposable plastic liners thatcan be used as a tray liner and a waste bag.

Several forms of backseat travel food trays exist including sectionaltrays. On many occasions, travel trays are used to provide food anddrink to children in the backseat of a vehicle. Many times food or drinkis spilled on the tray requiring it to be washed. It would beadvantageous to have a tray with a plastic liner that could covercontours of the tray and reduce or eliminate the need to wash the traveltray after each use.

It would also be advantageous if the travel tray had a cover that couldbe used as an activity table on one or both sides of the tray cover.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a food and beveragetray and liner system with disposable liners.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sectional traveltray and liner system with a disposable liners.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a sectionaltravel tray and liner system with disposable liners and a travel traycover having a means of being used as an activity table on at least oneside of the travel tray cover.

According to the present invention, a food tray system comprises a foodtray and a tray liner, which is suitably sized to follow contours of thefood tray. The tray liner is placed over the top portions of the foodtray to provide a protective shield between the food tray and any foodor beverage. The tray liner also includes an elastic member to tightenor secure the tray liner to the shape and size of the food tray. Theelastic member, therefore, prevents the tray liner from being pulled ormoved by a child to ensure that the food tray remains clean of anyresidue or food spills. The elastic member is also gatherable, from thefood tray, to form an integral, closed waste bag for the clean removalof debris from the food tray. The food tray may be used as a backseattravel tray and may also be provided as a means for securing a child inthe backseat for stability. The food tray system according to thepresent invention can be a section or non-sectional tray with a lightsystem integrated therein for evening use.

The food tray system according to the present invention may also includeat least one folding leg, which can be placed under the legs of a childin an infant automobile seat or standard automobile seat. It is alsocontemplated that at least one folding leg is configured to assumeseveral adjustable positions, including angle and height adjustablepositions, to assume stability and several support position of a child.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a food traysystem comprises a food tray and a tray liner, which is suitably sizedto follow contours of the food tray. The tray liner is placed over thetop portions of the food tray to provide a protective shield between thefood tray and any food or beverage. The tray liner also includes anelastic member to tighten or secure the tray liner to the shape and sizeof the food tray. The elastic member, therefore, prevents the tray linerfrom being pulled or moved by a child to ensure that the food trayremains clean of any residue or food spills. The elastic member is alsogatherable, from the food tray, to form an integral, closed waste bagfor the clean removal of debris from the food tray. When the food traysystem is not in use, a protective cover may be positioned over the topof the food tray so that the top side of the cover can be used as anactivity table. The cover may have a light system integrated therein toallow for use of the cover as the activity table in the dark. A securingmeans integrated with the cover ensures that the cover is not pulled upor moved by a child away from the food tray. The food tray may also beused as a backseat travel tray and may also be provided as a means forsecuring a child in the backseat for stability. The food tray systemaccording to the present invention can be a section or non-sectionaltray.

These and other benefits of the present invention will become morereadily apparent after a review of the detailed description andpreferred embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a food tray systemaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a side perspective view of a food tray system according tothe present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of a tray liner, having asecondary function as a waste bag, according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic perspective view of a travel food tray systemaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows another schematic perspective view of a travel food traysystem with at least one horizontal support bar according to the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many differentforms, there is shown in the drawings and will be described in detailbelow, specific embodiments with the understanding that the presentdisclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principlesof the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to theembodiments illustrated.

Now referring to FIG. 1, the food tray system 10 according to thepresent invention comprises a food tray 12 and a protective tray liner16 that is placed over the top portions of the food tray 12. The foodtray 12 may have one or more individual compartments 14 for containingdifferent food or beverage. As will be understood, the food tray 12 canbe of any desired shape, size and material. Preferably, the tray 12 isconstructed of a non-porous, stain resistant and rigid material such asplastic or the like. The food tray can also be made of flexiblematerial. The food tray 12 can further be used as a sectional or anon-sectional tray. As such, various embodiments of the food tray 12 mayinclude various configurations depending on the food items to besupported, as well as the specific shape and size to accommodatechildren's sizes. As will also be understood, the protective tray liner16 is not limited to any particular food tray 12 configurations and maybe used with a wide variety of such trays. Of course, the protectivetray liner 16 may be form fitted to the food tray 12 or take shapeaccording to the individual compartments 14.

Again referring to FIG. 1, the protective tray liner 16 prevents thefood tray 12 from needing to be washed as the protective tray liner 16provides a protective layer between food and beverage and the topportions of the food tray 12. Accordingly, in this embodiment, theprotective tray liner 16 insures that the top portions of the food tray12 remains clean of any residue or food spills.

The protective tray liner 16 may be composed of any suitable sheetmaterial, such as plastic or the like or other recyclable materialsprovided with a liquid impermeable cover layer and have straps,mechanical fasteners, hook and loop fasteners, drawstrings, or elasticmembers, etc., around the outer edge or edges. This way, a child cannotpull up or dislodge the outer edge or edges of the protective tray liner16 so that the top portions of the food tray 12 will be protected fromfood debris and any other residue.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the food tray system 18 according tothe present invention comprising the food tray 20 and the tray liner 22.The tray liner 22 is suitably sized to follow the contours of the foodtray 20 and is placed over the top portions and covers the food tray 20.The tray liner 22 as illustrated in FIG. 2 is also provided with elasticmembers 23 or the like materials around the outer edge or edges, suchthat a child cannot pull up or dislodge the outer edge or edges of theprotective tray liner 22.

FIG. 3 illustrates the tray liner 24 offering an additional functionalelement as a waste bag 24 to discard any waste 26 from food or beverageby loosening the elastic means 27 around the outer edges and turning thetray liner 24 inward to collect food debris and any other residue caughton the tray liner 24 after use. In this embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 3,therefore, the food tray 12 remains clean of any residue or food spillsas the tray liner 16, 24 turns into a waste bag 24, with self closure,for direct disposal of trapped food and debris as well as any otherresidual foods and items which are to be disposed of.

FIG. 4 illustrates a travel food tray system 28 according to theinvention comprising a food tray 30 having a folding leg 32 that can belocked into a position with a securing means 34 placed somewhere in thetravel food tray system 28. The tray liner 36 is provided as part of thetravel food tray system 28 and provides a means of keeping the trayclean from food and beverage as well as reducing the need to wash thefood tray 30. The tray liner 36 provides a secondary function as it canbe used as a waste bag 36 to dispose of the food and beverage waste.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the travel food tray system 38 havingan adjustable leg 40. The adjustable leg 40 is also angle and heightadjustable to assume several support position of a child. The adjustableleg 40 has at least one horizontal support bar 42 that is placed underthe legs of a child in an infant automobile seat or standard automobileseat when the tray system 38 is stable in use. The food tray 44 part ofthe system may have a food tray cover 46 so that when the cover 46 isplaced on top of the travel food tray 44, the travel food tray system 38may be used as an activity table. The travel tray cover 46 may have atleast one side that can be used for activity purposes including but notlimited to a magnetic board side, a chalk board side or other activitytable top type systems. The food tray 44 or the travel tray cover 46 mayhave a light system 48 integrated therein for evening use.

The foregoing description merely explains and illustrates the inventionand the invention is not limited thereto except insofar as the appendedclaims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who have thedisclosure before them will be able to make modifications withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention.

1. A food tray system comprising: a food tray; a tray liner suitablysized to follow contours of the food tray placed over the top portionsof the food tray to provide a protective shield between the food trayand any food or beverage; and, an elastic member to tighten the trayliner to the shape and size of the food tray to prevent the tray linerfrom being pulled or moved by a child, wherein the elastic means arealso gatherable, from the food tray, to form an integral, closed wastebag for the clean removal of debris from the food tray.
 2. The food traysystem of claim 1 is a sectional or a non-sectional tray.
 3. The foodtray system of claim 1 having at least one folding leg.
 4. The food traysystem of claim 3, wherein the at least one folding leg is configured toassume several adjustable positions to assume several support positionof a child.
 5. The food tray system of claim 1 having a light systemintegrated therein.
 6. A food tray system comprising: a food tray; atray liner suitably sized to follow contours of the food tray, whereinthe tray liner is placed over the top portions of the food tray toprovide a protective shield between the food tray and any food orbeverage; an elastic member to tighten the tray liner to the shape andsize of the food tray to prevent the tray liner from being pulled ormoved by a child, wherein the elastic means are also gatherable, fromthe food tray, to form an integral, closed waste bag for the cleanremoval of debris from the food tray; a cover positioned over the top ofthe food tray, wherein at least one side of the cover can be used as anactivity table; and, a securing means to securely provide the cover ontop of the food tray.
 7. The food tray system of claim 6 is a sectionalor a non-sectional tray.
 8. The food tray system of claim 6 having atleast one folding leg.
 9. The food tray system of claim 8, wherein theat least one folding leg is configured to assume several adjustablepositions to assume several support position of a child.
 10. The foodtray system of claim 6 one having a light system integrated therein.